Vaccination rates in the county vary greatly by location

EVERETT — Postal ZIP codes covering Sultan, Arlington, Granite Falls, Gold Bar and Monroe have the lowest vaccination rates in Snohomish County, new data show.

The number of residents in those areas with at least one shot of a COVID vaccine ranged from 38% to 42% as of late May, according to estimates from the Snohomish Health District.

The highest vaccination rates were recorded in ZIP codes surrounding more-urban Lake Stevens, Edmonds, Bothell, Mill Creek and Mukilteo, where 65% to 69% of people had received one or more doses.

The numbers are a crude estimate but could help steer the county’s vaccination effort as it shifts from mass vaccination sites, local leaders said Tuesday.

“For us, it’s another data point to see if there are gaps we’ve missed,” Department of Emergency Management Director Jason Biermann said during a media briefing Tuesday.

Tuesday was the last day to get the first Moderna dose at any of the county’s mass vaccination sites, at the Boeing Activity Center in Everett, Edmonds College in Lynnwood and the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe.

People can still get their second shot at those sites, though.

And the county’s other mass clinics, which offer the Pfizer vaccine, will start scaling back first doses, as well.

Going forward, the county’s focus will be on smaller pop-up clinics — for example, clinics were planned for AquaSox games Tuesday and Wednesday at Funko Field in Everett.

“We know we’re still just one piece of the puzzle,” Biermann said. “There are other providers and organizations that are working to provide vaccines at schools, churches, community centers and anywhere that’s easier for people to access.”

People who get their shots during an AquaSox game will be given a ticket to a future game and a hot dog.

“We’ve got some cool events coming up,” Biermann said. “We’re really grateful for all our partners in the community who are helping us make this happen and for everyone who’s going out and getting vaccinated. We’re not out of the pandemic yet, but everybody doing this helps us get there.”

On Saturday, Meadowdale High School in Lynnwood will host a clinic from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Appointments are encouraged but not required and can be made by visiting www.schedule.seattlevna.com/home.

Last week, the county brought a site to Explorer Middle School in Everett, where more than 200 people received a shot.

Joey Thompson: 425-339-3449; jthompson@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @byjoeythompson.